


The Drowned Ghost

by Nobodystormcrow



Category: Chinese Mythology, Liáo Zhāi Zhì Yì | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio - Pú Sōnglíng
Genre: Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Chinese mythology is as queer as fuck, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, SUFFER WITH ME, Translation, a wine-loving fisherman, and his drowned ghost drinking/fishing buddy, what sweeter romance can there be?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:23:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26310013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nobodystormcrow/pseuds/Nobodystormcrow
Summary: Of the surname Xu, was a young fisherman. As young, poor fishermen are wont to do, he drank while he cast his nets, and managed to befriend a drowned spirit of these waters.They become drinking buddies, and it only gets gayer from here.
Relationships: Fisherman Xu/Drowned Ghost Wang Liulang
Comments: 5
Kudos: 5





	The Drowned Ghost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HT (CarpeNox)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarpeNox/gifts).



> HT, I would like to inform you that this is all your fault. You gave me the kick in the ass needed for me to actually do the translation I was planning on, so this translated folktale is dedicated to you.

Of the surname Xu, was a young fisherman. Every night he brought wine to the river, and drank whilst he fished. When he drank, he poured wine upon the earth with the blessing, "Let the drowned ghosts of the river drink as well." And he did so always. When others fished, their nets were empty, but his net alone was always filled to bursting.

One evening, as he drank alone as always, a youth came and tarried by his side, and the fisherman gave him his cup, so that he may drink, and the two men shared the drought in good company. Yet that night, the fisherman did not catch a single fish, and was dismayed. The youth rose and said, "I ask of thee, allow me hence downstream to chase for you your catch."

Then he went as if upon the wind. After a few moments, he once again returned to say, "The fish are there now." And accordingly, splashing was heard. Raising his nets, the fisherman found that they were full to bursting, and none of his haul was shorter than a foot. Delighted to the extreme, he bowed in thanks.

The young man wished to return, and refused the fish he was gifted, saying, "Many times have you shared with me fine wine, this is too little to repay thee. If you would not disdain such, I would beg you to make of it a habit."

The fisherman said, "We have spent only a single night together, wherefor do you speak of many? If you will meet with me always, I would be delighted to fulfill your wish, but I am ashamed to say that I cannot understand thee."

Asked his name and titles, the young man answered, "My surname is Wang, with no courtesy name, and you may call me Wang Liulang."

Then they said their farewells.

The next day, the fisherman sold his catch for a good price, and with the money bought wine. Hastening to the river at night, the youth had already arrived, and then they made merry together. Having drunken many cups, Wang stood to chase fish for Xu.

Thusly passed half a year, and without warning, the young man confessed to the fisherman, "I have known thee long, and the feelings between us are greater even then the feelings between flesh and blood. Alas! The days to our parting are numbered now." He seemed to keen and sounded most distressed.

Shocked, the fisherman inquired after him, and the young man seemed to wish to speak, and choked, and finally replied, "With as deep a connection as that between us two, please, thou, marvel not! Since we shall say our farewells today, there is no reason not to bare myself to thee: I am in truth a ghost. In life I loved drink, and drunken, drowned here many years ago. That you, sir, before, alone got fish in numbers superior to any, was because of this servant's secret herding in repayment of your wine. Tomorrow, my term here will be done, and there shall be another to replace, while I go on to rebirth. This evening is our last meeting, thus I cannot be unmoved!"

Xu was at first shaken, but they had known each other long, and he was swift no longer afraid. He too wept, then drank and spoke, "Drink now here, my friend, do not weep! No sooner have we met than we are now parted—that is enough for tears. However, that your penance here is at end, is an occasion for celebration and congratulations—it would be unseemly to grieve." And so, he drank deeply with him.

Curious, he asked, "Who shall replace you?"

Wang replied, "Brother, look upon the riverbank, at midday there shall be a woman who crosses the river and drowns—she shall be it."

Hearing the cry of the village cockerels, they rained down tears and parted.

* * *

The day after, Xu waited by the river to see what would happen. Sure enough, a woman carrying a child came, and coming to the river, fell in. Her son she threw back onto shore, where he flailed about as he wailed. The woman sank and rose, bobbing up and down in the water, until suddenly, sodden, she climbed back onto the ground. Lying there briefly, she caught her breath, then hugging her child to her chest, she left. When the woman was drowning, Xu's conscience could not bear it, and he thought to run and save her; suddenly thinking that she was the one to replace his friend, he stopped and did not save her. When she emerged by herself, he suspected his prophecy was not true.

At dusk, he cast his nets at his old spot, and the young man was once again there, and said, "Today we meet again—let us not speak of ought else."

Xu asked why.

He replied, "The woman has been replaced. This servant pitied the child she held to her breast, that for this little brother alone two lives would be destroyed, and so gave them up. I know not when again an opportunity will come. Perchance our connection, the time allotted to us two is not yet wholly consumed?"

Xu marveled, "Such compassion would touch even the gods!"

From then on, they rendezvoused as they did in the beginning.

* * *

Some time passed before the young man came once again to say goodbye, and Xu thought that there was once again someone to replace him. He replied, "Nay. That act of compassion from thence, truly did reach the heavens. I have been awarded a post as the earth god of a town to the east, and tomorrow I shall assume my duties there. If you would not forget our relationship, you could go there and visit me, do not find it awkward!"

Congratulating, Xu said, "That you, sir, are righteous enough to be a god, is truly a comfort to my heart. But divorced are the paths of gods and men—even should I not feel it to be improper, how can we reunite?"

The young man said, "Simply hurry thence, worry not!"

Thricefold exhorting him, he went.

* * *

Xu returned home, and immediately sought to pack and hasten east. His wife laughed, "You go now over half a hundred leagues, and should such a place as you seek exist, I'm afraid that earthen idols cannot speak with you!"

Xu heeded her not, and instead raced east.

Asking the locals, there was indeed the town which he sought. Making his way to that place, he rested a while in a tavern, and asked where the temple was. The tavern master, shocked, asked, "Are you the one surnamed Xu?"

Xu replied, "Yes. How did you know?"

He asked once more, "Fish you upon the great river yonder?"

"I do. How did you know?"

The tavern master did not answer, and instead hurried out.

Soon after, husbands bearing children, wives and daughters peeking out the door, thronging they came, clustering so thick that they were as walls encircling. Xu was shocked.

Finally, the masses informed him, "Days ago we received divine visitation in our dreams, saying that from the river comes now his friend Xu, and we could succor him somewhat. We have awaited you long!"

Xu marveled, then went to the temple to pray, "After parting from you, sir, I tossed and turned and could not cast away my thoughts of you, and so traveled far to make good on our pledge. That you in dreams gave orders to the people, I am for it most grateful. To my shame I have no worthy offering, only this cup of wine. If you do not disdain it, then drink as we did upon the riverbank!"

Prayer done, he burned paper money, as was custom.

Swiftly was it seen that wind rose behind his seat, whirling about him for some time before it began to dissipate.

In the night, the young man came once more, comely and elaborate in his dress, much different from before, and thanked him, "I am most grateful for your taking such a long journey, and smiles and tears mix upon my face. Having assumed my minor position, we can not easily meet; mountains and rivers lie between us, I grieve greatly in my chest. These people, as charged by me, would give thee a few meagre gifts, do accept them! If there should be a day that you return, I would run to greet thee!"

Dwelling in the town for some days, Xu desired to return home. The people cajoled him to stay, giving him invitations at dawn and dusk, and so he stayed for a few more. He firmed his resolve, and bade them farewell.

The people then competed with each other to give him gifts, filling and stretching his purse and giving him yet more. From white haired to the children, they all thronged to see him off.

Exiting the village, there rose a whirling wind, which followed the fisherman for another league. Xu saluted it, "Dear friend, take care of yourself! Do not strain yourself with long journeys. Your heart is loving and compassionate, it shall be a blessing to your land, you need not your old friend's counsel!"

The wind circled for a long while, and finally departed.

The people all marveled as they returned.

* * *

The original text, for those interested, quoted from《聊斋志异》：

**卷一** **·** **王六郎**

许姓，家淄之北郭，业渔。每夜携酒河上，饮且渔。饮则酹酒于地，祝云："河中溺鬼得饮。"以为常。他人渔，迄无所获，而许独满筐。

一夕方独酌，有少年来徘徊其侧。让之饮，慨与同酌。既而终夜不获一鱼，意颇失。少年起曰："请于下流为君驱之。"遂飘然去。少间复返曰："鱼大至矣。"果闻唼呷有声。举网而得数头皆盈尺。喜极，申谢。欲归，赠以鱼不受，曰："屡叨佳酝，区区何足云报。如不弃，要当以为常耳。"许曰："方共一夕，何言屡也？如肯永顾，诚所甚愿，但愧无以为情。"询其姓字，曰："姓王，无字，相见可呼王六郎。"遂别。明日，许货鱼益利，沾酒。晚至河干，少年已先在，遂与欢饮。饮数杯，辄为许驱鱼。如是半载，忽告许曰："拜识清扬，情逾骨肉，然相别有日矣。"语甚凄楚。惊问之，欲言而止者再，乃曰："情好如吾两人，言之或勿讶耶？今将别，无妨明告：我实鬼也。素嗜酒，沉醉溺死数年于此矣。前君之获鱼独胜于他人者，皆仆之暗驱以报酹奠耳。明日业满，当有代者，将往投生。相聚只今夕，故不能无感。"许初闻甚骇，然亲狎既久，不复恐怖。因亦欷歔，酌而言曰："六郎饮此，勿戚也。相见遽违，良足悲恻。然业满劫脱，正宜相贺，悲乃不伦。"遂与畅饮。因问："代者何人？"曰："兄于河畔视之，亭午有女子渡河而溺者是也。"听村鸡既唱，洒涕而别。明日敬伺河边以觇其异。果有妇人抱婴儿来，及河而堕。儿抛岸上，扬手掷足而啼。妇沉浮者屡矣，忽淋淋攀岸以出：藉地少息，抱儿径去。当妇溺时，意良不忍，思欲奔救；转念是所以代六郎者，故止不救。及妇自出，疑其言不验。抵暮，渔旧处，少年复至，曰："今又聚首，且不言别矣。"问其故。曰："女子已相代矣；仆怜其抱中儿，代弟一人遂残二命，故舍之。更代不知何期。或吾两人之缘未尽耶？"许感叹曰："此仁人之心，可以通上帝矣。"由此相聚如初。

数日又来告别，许疑其复有代者，曰："非也。前一念恻隐，果达帝天。今授为招远县邬镇土地，来日赴任。倘不忘故交，当一往探，勿惮修阻。"许贺曰："君正直为神，甚慰人心。但人神路隔，即不惮修阻，将复如何？"少年曰："但往勿虑。"再三叮咛而去。许归，即欲制装东下，妻笑曰："此去数百里，即有其地，恐土偶不可以共语。"许不听，竟抵招远。问之居人，果有邬镇。寻至其处，息肩逆旅，问祠所在。主人惊曰："得无客姓为许？"许曰："然。何见知？"又曰："得无客邑为淄？"曰："然。何见知？"主人不答遽出。俄而丈夫抱子，媳女窥门，杂沓而来，环如墙堵。许益惊。众乃告曰："数夜前梦神言：淄川许友当即来，可助一资斧。祗候已久。"许亦异之，乃往祭于祠而祝曰："别君后，寤寐不去心，远践曩约。又蒙梦示居人，感篆中怀。愧无腆物，仅有卮酒，如不弃，当如河上之饮。"祝毕焚钱纸。俄见风起座后，旋转移时始散。至夜梦少年来，衣冠楚楚，大异平时，谢曰："远劳顾问，喜泪交并。但任微职，不便会面，咫尺河山，甚怆于怀。居人薄有所赠，聊酬夙好。归如有期，尚当走送。"居数日，许欲归，众留殷恳，朝请暮邀，日更数主。许坚辞欲行。众乃折柬抱襆，争来致赆，不终朝，馈遗盈橐。苍头稚子，毕集祖送。出村，欻有羊角风起，随行十余里。许再拜曰："六郎珍重！勿劳远涉。君心仁爱，自能造福一方，无庸故人嘱也。"风盘旋久之乃去。村人亦嗟讶而返。

许归，家稍裕，遂不复渔。后见招远人问之，其灵应如响云。或言即章丘石坑庄。未知孰是？

异史氏曰："置身青云无忘贫贱，此其所以神也。今日车中贵介，宁复识戴笠人哉？余乡有林下者，家甚贫。有童稚交，任肥秩，计投之必相周顾。竭力办装，奔涉千里，殊失所望。泻囊货骑始得归。其族弟甚谐，作月令嘲之云：'是月也，哥哥至，貂帽解，伞盖不张，马化为驴，靴始收声。'念此可为一笑。"

* * *

I decided to not bother translating the last two (boring) paragraphs, and present to you now my addition:

…And then Xu's wife, fed up with her husband's pining, moved the family to town so that he could be close to his cutsleeve friend, probably meeting a nice fox spirit along the way. After Wang died, he became a secretary or something for his drinking buddy, and they lived happily ever after onto eternity. His wife, on the other hand, was given immortality by her lovely fox spirit wife, and they get together for New Year's dinners and stuff.

* * *

**Translator's notes:**

* * *

Wikipedia: _Liaozhai Zhiyi_ (Liaozhai; Chinese: 聊斋志异), called in English _Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio_ or _Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio_ , is a collection of Classical Chinese stories by Pu Songling, comprising close to five hundred "marvel tales" in the zhiguai and chuanqi styles, which serve to implicitly criticize societal problems then. Dating back to the Qing dynasty, its earliest publication date is given as 1740.

Liulang: lit. sixth son. I debated on using Japanes readings and calling him Rokuro, but decided against it and just changed every mention of his name afterwards to "my friend" or the like.

Earth god: Tudi (土地), tutelary deity of a locality and the human communities who inhabit it in Chinese folk religion.

Cutsleeve: traditional term for gay—there's a story behind that, dating back to the western Han dynasty.

I took liberties with place names by editing them out, on the assumption that you don't want to break immersion trying to figure out how to pronounce them, and also approximated leagues from the archaic Chinese measurement 里 ( _li_ ) , using the equations 1 league ≈ 1500 meters and 1 _li_ = 500 meters, ergo 1 league ≈ 3 _li_.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's a whole archaic Chinese story translated for you all. It makes interpreting Shakespeare look easy. I have braved a paucity of subjects in sentences, far too many context-dependent words that also change the meaning of the sentence without having any meaning themselves, and word repetition that sounds decent in the original but awkward in English to share with you the fact that Chinese folktales are sometimes queer as fuck.


End file.
